Stage 2 (Stična)

Technical analysis

Pigments: white lime (calcite), yellow earth (goethite), red earth (haematite), green earth, carbon black

Analytical techniques: OM, Raman, XRD

The plaster consists of lime and aggregate. Calcite and dolomite were identified with Raman spectroscopy, while the XRD technique indicated a high dolomite content and only a modest amount of calcite, similarly as in the case of the plaster that the coat of arms was painted on. Especially under UV light, the cross-sections show very bright, angular grains, indicating the use of crushed dolomite, possibly dolomitic marble (fig. 3). No giornate are distinguishable.

Most of the pigments used by the painter were identified with Raman spectroscopy, namely: white lime (calcite), yellow goethite, red haematite (fig. 3), green earth (fig. 4), and carbon black (figs. 4–5). The blue pigment, which could be azurite or lapis lazuli, was not confirmed; it may have fallen off the sample and the grey base (fig. 5). The ultramarine and rutile, identified in the top colour layer, were used during subsequent retouching. The primary binder is lime from the plaster, while the top layers of glaze had to be applied with the help of an organic binder.

The basic colour layers, such as red and grey (figs. 3–4), were painted on fresh plaster. These layers are relatively thick, while the top layers are thin as glaze and applied on an already dry base. Some parts of the mural were subsequently retouched, for example the parts featuring blue on green (fig. 4).

As the mural has been severely damaged and retouched in the tratteggio technique, the painting process and modelling are almost impossible to distinguish. The halo of the Saint figure on the left side was definitely incised, though with a very thin, shallow, and barely noticeable line. The outline of the head and the left shoulder under the halo also appear to have been incised. The underdrawing cannot be determined with certainty on any part of the mural. The remains of a dark red line can be observed in the lower part of the saint’s face, but this could also be the final contour. The figures are elongated and thin as, for example, the donor’s figure on the rightand the heads are round. No modelling has been preserved anywhere. The cross-sections revealed a grey underpainting in the style of the northern European tradition (veneda) under the green colour (fig. 4). Veneda can be also suggested under the potential blue pigment, which has probably fallen off the sample (fig. 5). Interestingly, the grey underpainting was applied under the green earth without using any malachite, which is rather peculiar. The grey colour is a mixture of white and black, i.e. white lime and carbon black.

Gallery

Virtual 360° view

Stična, Cistercian monastery, Stage 2 (Stična), 2024 (last updated 29. 8. 2024). Corpus picturarum muralium medii aevi, https://corpuspicturarum.zrc-sazu.si/en/poslikava/phase-2-cistercian-monastery-sticna/ (19. 9. 2026).

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